Meeting
by ToaXabineh
Summary: (Challenge fic for Rian-Moeru!) Slade had seen many different people in his life time. Assassins, heroes, sleaze-bag business owners...Yet he'd never met someone so interesting as the teenager before him. Never had anyone been so interesting as the boy with unsettling blue eyes. No pairings/romance.
**Hey all! This is a challenge from my friend Rian-Moeru! She wanted a Slade and Robin fic, so ta-da!**

 **So...yup!**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It wasn't often that Slade took the time to explore. Between his jobs as a mercenary and his own somewhat dark schemes, he rarely had time for such a frivolous activity. Yet, having recently relocated to Jump City, he decided it would be best to familiarize himself with the metropolis, if only so he could make a quick escape should one of his dealings here in the city go wrong.

So that was why he now roamed the streets of the city as dusk began to fall, dressed in civilian clothing. He already garnered more than enough notice with having only one eye, and it would've looked ridiculous if he were to walk down the street in disguise. So for the time being, he blended in with the crowds on the busy sidewalks, taking note of alleyways and fire escapes that led to rooftops. This city was proving to have quite a good number of opportunities of escape for someone of Slade's talent.

Crossing the street, Slade paused by streetlamp when he felt eyes on him, and the mercenary quickly surveyed the area.

Slade's own eye met a pair of brilliant, unsettling blue.

A good thirty feet down the sidewalk was a teenage boy of roughly sixteen. Leaning against a wall of a building casually, the boy was staring at Slade quietly. The teen was inspecting him, and Slade did likewise, gaze sweeping up and down the boy.

He was a bit on the short side with a lithe form. All of the meat on his bones was clearly muscle, showing he had an active background of some sort. The boy's face had lost most of its baby fat, though still retained a soft, youthful curve of a jaw. Messy raven hair was spiked using gel, and the boy was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt and jacket. All in all, a teen who appeared completely ordinary.

But Slade knew differently as sharp blue eyes regarded him suspiciously.

The teen wasn't stupid. No, Slade could see it in the boy's eyes, he was sharp as a whip. The eyes were the windows to the soul, some would say, and Slade had found in his years of work that it was true. As he met the teen's gaze squarely, he could see cunning, determination and bravery. Despite all appearances, this boy couldn't be just any other kid. The teenager's eyes, showing a maturity beyond his years, were akin to those Slade had seen only belong to heroes. Batman, Superman, Green Arrow- Every hero he'd ever encountered had the exact same gaze as this child.

Slade was somewhat surprised when the teen turned away, his bright blue eyes instead searching the crowds on the sidewalk. The boy could obviously tell that Slade was trouble, why did he do nothing?

Pushing himself away from the wall, the teen started down the sidewalk, hands shoved in his pockets. After a split second of debate, Slade began to follow from a distance, curious of what the boy was doing and where he was going.

For a good ten minutes it went like this, the boy weaving through the crowded streets expertly with Slade tailing him. Slade absently wondered if he had been wrong about this boy. Maybe the teen wasn't so smart, if he hadn't noticed Slade following him by this point.

The teen turned down an alleyway, out of the view of those on the street and Slade followed.

Only to find the alleyway empty.

Slade's gaze quickly swept across the alley, searching for where the boy could be hiding or a way he could've escaped so quickly, any form of explanation as to how the teen had gotten away so quickly-

"Why're you following me?"

Slade's eye widened in alarm and he quickly whipped around.

There, by the entrance of the alleyway, stood the boy. He stood tall, his arms crossed over his lean chest and a scowl on his face as he stared up at Slade with narrowed eyes.

Just how had the boy managed to get behind him without his notice? Even the most talented of assassins couldn't manage such a feat, Slade was always on guard, always able to hear the slightest footstep or breath, but he'd heard nothing from this boy.

"I asked: _why are you following me_?"

Slade forced his body to relax.

"Light on your feet, aren't you?"

The boy's scowl deepened, form tensing and hands clenching into fists.

"I want an answer."

Slade clasped his hands behind his back, standing straight and tall, the picture of confidence and composure. He wasn't about to let this child think he was weak.

"I know. But you won't be getting one today."

The teen looked taken aback, going to speak-

With a yelp, the boy barely managed to dodge a knife that Slade stabbed forward with. He couldn't avoid the kick though, and was sent spinning into a wall. Catching himself, the teen turned back to the man to attack-

Only to find the man gone.

* * *

Upon returning to his home base, Slade had immediately gone to the large computer that served as his database. That boy from earlier had thoroughly intrigued him, and now he wanted to know why.

Sitting, the man began searching every file on Jump City and its citizens. After an hour and a half and no results, Slade expanded his search, instead going not by city but by appearance and instead looking at old newspaper articles and police databases.

Minutes ticked by, then hours. Slade was a patient man, but he was starting to wonder just who this boy was, considering he'd had yet to find any trace of him. Who could this boy be, or what could he have done, that had left his information so deeply buried?

It was three in the morning when Slade finally found something. A single newspaper article that, in bold letters stated:

 **"FLYING GRAYSONS FALL TO THEIR DEATH, 9-YEAR-OLD SON ORPHANED"**

And there, under the title of the article, was a grainy photo. Despite the bad quality of the photo and difference in age of the boy in the picture, Slade could easily recognize the messy black hair and bright, shocking blue eyes.

Finally having a lead, Slade's research really began. Looking up the name "The Flying Graysons", Slade found a good number of results, and things began to slowly fall into place.

The Flying Graysons had been a family of amazing acrobats, consisting of a mother, father and their son. Known widely for their skills and prowess, many came from far and wide to see their act at Haley's Circus.

But then there had been an accident. The wire connected to a trapeze bar had snapped, and both mother and father had plummeted to their deaths.

Their son, Richard Grayson, had soon been taken in by Gotham's own playboy philanthropist, Bruce Wayne.

Slade was no fool. He had learned long ago who Bruce Wayne was, as well as his…Nighttime activities. This led to Batman's protégé, Robin.

Robin had, apparently, disappeared from Gotham a few months back.

It appeared that Slade had found himself a little lost bird.

Curious, Slade looked for any video footage of the small sidekick. He quickly found what he sought. It was astonishing how many people found the ability in themselves to take video footage with their phones while crime was in process. From bank robberies to muggings, there was limitless footage of Batman and, more importantly, Robin.

The boy's small, slight form, which he'd apparently kept throughout the years, allowed him the flexibility and speed to dodge any variety of attacks. The capability to contort his form allowed him to use an amazing array of fighting techniques as well. After more research, Slade managed to form a sort of timeline from the videos, which revealed the rapid rate of improvement the boy went through. It was clear he learned from every encounter with criminals that he experienced, and Slade couldn't help but admit that he was impressed.

But why would the boy be here, in Jump City? It was no where near Gotham, and if Batman had moved to Jump City then Slade would've been the first to know.

And so Slade turned his research to Jump City and its heroes. That was where he found Robin next, as the leader of a group of heroes called the Teen Titans. An unimpressive name, but adolescents tended to be unoriginal.

Going from being a sidekick to the leader of a team was an impressively large step, especially for one so young. Judging from the video footage, the boy had quickly adjusted to the new role. The first few fights caught on video had shown the teamwork as sloppy, but as the videos progressed through time, Robin became proficient, with a strategic mind that proved to be an asset to his team and himself.

So the boy with the bright, unsettling blue eyes was the famous hero Robin. With only a few other teenagers watching his back and no Batman protecting him, Slade had to admit the idea of turning the boy into his student was far too appealing to pass up. The boy was quick, strong, intelligent…

Perfect.

That was when Slade began to form a plan in his mind, one that would surely not fail.


End file.
